


Second Chances

by Erizee



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: M/M, Post 3x22, Regret, i like to think this is canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 13:26:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11737989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erizee/pseuds/Erizee
Summary: After Ed has been put on ice Oswald meets some difficulties trying to put him on display





	Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> It's almost 1am.  
> I wrote this in german first and translated it to english, so some parts may seem a little rocky.

Oswald sat in his office and tried to get through the last of his plans for the Iceberg Lounge, as Ivy entered the mansion. The entrance doors hit the walls as she made her arrival loudly known.

Oswald sighed and set aside he pen he had used to sign a few last papers to greet his friend.

"Pengy? Where are you?" Her voice reverberated through the whole building. Oswald really had to talk to her about caution, especially when it came to entering buildings that might just be full of potential enemies. It wasn't like he hadn't tried before, but she had only waved her hand and laughed. "If anyone tries to sneak up on me they get to taste my perfume. Don't worry Pengy, I'm completely safe." His remark that it was completely possible someone would decide to shoot her from a distance didn't seem to bother her.

Finally Ivy found what she had been looking for. She swung open the door and greeted Oswald with a wide grin. "Pengy! There you are!" She threw herself onto him, ignoring his protests completely. "I went to the city and got some things you need for the club." She rolled her eyes as she saw his stern glance and added "alright, alright. For the Lounge. Seriously Ozzie, you really need to get over the fact that your last club belonged to Fish Mooney. I'm sure she would be proud if she could see you now."

Oswald sighed and propped up his head on his hand. "I know, I know. You say that every time that topic comes up." He gestured towards the papers on his desk and waited until she had taken a look at them before he continued. "I've been trying for weeks to get this stupid form signed but something always comes up."

Ivy brushed her hair behind her ear and raised her eyebrow. "You're really trying to get a permission to display Nygma?" Oswald glanced at her questioningly and she shrugged. "I'm just saying, you control the whole city. The GCPD is lying at your feet and the gangs always are. I just don't get why you're putting so much effort into this."

Oswald rolled his eyes. He loved Ivy like a sister, but sometimes she really was a little blind to the obvious. "Because, Ivy, Jim Gordon will show up here with his badge and gun and mess everything up. It's bad enough this bastard killed Fish, I don't want him to destroy everything I worked for as well."

Ivy nodded understandingly. She had her own experiences with the golden detective as well, on the day he had murdered her father after wrongfully accusing him of killing the Waynes.

"Alright, but let me help." Oswald looked at her, surprised. "You would really do that?" She only grinned. "Hey, I want your success just as much as you do. You always get so cranky when business doesn't go the way you want."

He smiled and Ivy left the room, head full of ideas for how to reach Gotham's mightiest.

 

The smile fell from Oswald's lips as soon as the door fell closed.

He buried his face in his hands and run them through his hair.

It was still hard to think about Ed. Even after several weeks that Ed had spent safely tucked away in the freezer in the kitchen the thought of his face still hurt. The way he had looked at Oswald when he had revealed his plan.. And his shock over Oswald tricking him.. The gloat Oswald felt at that was highly overshadowed by his guilt and his despair that he had destroyed the last good thing in his life. First his mother, then his father, now the love of his life.

Oswald wasn't a man that regretted things after he did them. Of course he sometimes caught himself wishing he had searched for his mother himself instead of sending that one-handed ape Butch, but he had always pushed that thought aside. Time doesn't reverse itself, what is done is done and broken friendships don't automatically mend themselves.

But nonetheless Oswald felt nothing but regret at the thought of what he had done to that girl. Not because she had died, that didn't really bother Oswald. In his line of work useless pity and compassion only were a hindrance. No, he regretted it because it had pitched him and Ed against each other. What wouldn't he give for the chance to make a different choice. It would have been so easy to not call Gabe, to not give the order to have her brakelines cut. She would still be alive and Oswald would still be heartbroken, but at least Ed wouldn't hate him.

 

Oswald blinked away the tears that had formed in his eyes and stood up. He didn't have any time to grieve. What has been done has been done. He had a club to build. He had to raise take care of Ivy.

Life doesn't give you any second chances. It only gives you one. And Oswald had screwed up his.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone wants to read the original, it's here: https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/5988ded00002e5662fe46432/1/Zweite-Chance 
> 
> As always I highly appreciate comments (and kudos of course)!


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